VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI was presented yesterday with two brand-new customized Piaggio three-wheeled vehicles. The funky, light weight transport vehicles are called “ape” in Italian, which means “bee” — probably for the loud buzzing noise the tiny engine makes as it putters along.

Piaggio’s CEO and the head of its Indian subsidiary presented the pope with the two white Ape-Calessino models that were made in India. The gift was made to mark the 60th anniversary of the first Piaggio ape to come off the assembly line.